Hellooo, in case anyone remembers who I am: it's me again after much longer than I wanted and intended to... I didn't have much time (and my motivation was nowhere to be found for some time). I apologize for that. But your reviews were one of the main reasons I got my motivation back, so THANK YOU SO MUCH for every single word. Really means a lot to me.

But now enough of my verbiage that I guess no one cares about. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter (despite the fact that it's shorter than the last ones), I'd love to hear your thoughts (or complaints, if you have any)!

Chapter 8 - Another Time

Once again a knock on his door interrupted him while he was studying. He lifted his head to face the intruder and was greeted with a small smile on a face framed by auburn locks.

"Hey." Her warm and soft voice was enough to let a warmth spread in his stomach. A familiar warmth. A sensation he had already gotten used to over the last few... days? Weeks? Months?

He didn't even know it exactly when it all had started, he hadn't realized it immediately. He couldn't remember when it began, he just knew that now it was always there when she was around. And though he was still cautious and a bit afraid of what that meant exactly - for him, for her, for their friendship - he wouldn't want to miss that feeling for the world.

So he softly beamed back at her. "Hey."

Then she started to fidget with her hands and dropped her gaze for a second. Harvey didn't say anything while he surveyed her but he clearly noticed her slight unease and nervousness. "Sorry that I'm barging in here but I wanted to ask you if you, uh, want to join me for a walk?"

He had already been surprised when she had shown up at his door, but he was even more astonished by her question now. He had expected a few things but he wasn't prepared for something like that.
Usually he wasn't that much of a walker - he preferred running - but he was relieved that she had decided to still talk normally to him after the scene he had made a couple of days before. That she didn't ignore him or showed him in any other way that she was still mad at him or something. It seemed like they were on the track of being back to normal, so he gladly accepted her invitation with a sheepish smile and a small nod. "Yeah."

They hadn't talked about his almost riot since their last conversation where she had told him that the guy was their previous roommate. Her ex-boyfriend. The thought of that still made him clench his jaw and he felt a sting in the pit of his stomach.

On the one hand he wasn't proud of his actions because usually he wasn't the type to loose control so easily and lash out at other people.
On the other hand, he wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again. This was about her, and though he would probably handle the situation a bit differently the next time, he wouldn't even think twice about doing anything to stand up for her.

They both grabbed their jackets before leaving the apartment, entering the elevator in silence. Leaning against opposite metal walls, they both had their hands buried deep in the pockets of their jackets. Each of them having their head tilted back, and both pairs of eyes fixating something on the ceiling. In fact, the didn't exchange a word and didn't even actually glance at each other until they arrived at the front door of the building.

"So, uhm, where should we go?" He asked her, letting his hand run through his hair to cover his slight insecurity. Hoping that she wouldn't see through his action.

But she didn't seem to notice it, looking to her left and to her right before she shrugged, hands buried in the pockets of her jacket. "I don't know, let's go over there?" She pointed with her chin in one direction. He only nodded and took a first step in the shown direction, she followed him one step behind until she caught up with him and walked next to him.

They paced in silence, not really knowing what to talk about since they both didn't want to approach the sensitive topic of his almost riot. Though they had already had the one little conversation about it, there were still some unresolved things they should probably talk about. But apparently neither of them was eager to do so or even bring it up.

So they just wandered along the streets, watching some cars pass them, letting the city sink in. They didn't know how long they had already been strolling when they eventually arrived at a park.

Turning their heads towards each other, they silently agreed on going inside with simply their looks and a faint smile, both in the need of seeing something different than the usual asphalt jungle.

The gravel path scrunched beneath their shoes, their feet taking them nowhere distinct but when they came across a small pond they simultaneously slowed down their pace. Realizing that, both of their lips curled up without the other's knowledge since they both had their gazes dropped to their toes. They smiled about the fact that they seemed to understand each other without saying anything. The presence of each other seemingly enough to comprehend what the other was thinking.

This was probably also the reason why their silence didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Because they didn't always have to talk to each other to understand each other. It was as if they had already known each other their whole lives.

When they finally arrived at the pond bank, they slowed down even more until they ultimately stopped their movements completely. Just standing there, taking the sight in front of them in. Sunset had just begun and the surface of the waters in front of them reflected the play of colors in the sky.

Harvey removed the hands from his pockets and let them fall down his side. At first he was thinking about taking some pictures but he didn't want to interrupt the atmosphere so he decided against it.

They were standing pretty close to each other but neither of them wanted to do anything against that proximity, they just relished the moment, the beautiful sunset, each other's presence.

At the beginning they didn't really notice but at once they realized that their hands were only inches apart since she had extracted her hands from her pockets, too. They felt the warmth radiating from the other's hand and they both subconsciously made slow movements towards the arm of the other. At first only their fingers brushed and surprised by the actual touch they both flinched and they parted again.

After a little break where they both weren't sure if it was just an accidental touch or not, Harvey decided to throw caution to the wind and finally blindly reached for her hand.

At first only his index finger brushed against the side of her hand, then he paused for a second, almost assuming that she would take her hand back. But contrary to his expectation she did nothing like that, so he let his palm softly graze against hers. Then he eventually took her hand, clasped it gently and let his fingers slip between hers.

It felt just like it did a few days ago when they woke up in her bed. It felt so familiar again. The same feeling of calmness, comfortableness and completeness. It felt like nothing could ever shake him as long as she was by his side.

With bated breath he waited for her reaction, not daring to look at her or say anything, too afraid that one of those things would ruin the moment and make her leave. If his previous action hadn't already been reason enough for her to turn around and run away.

But to his surprise - and immense relief as he noticed later - she didn't do either of that, she remained right where she was. Standing next to him, he felt her squeezing his hand lightly as a response and taking a fractional step towards him.

They didn't saw each other's faces because they were both focused on the view in front of them but they somehow knew that they both had a quite similar expression on their faces: a warm smile and soft eyes, just enjoying the presence of each other. Both having their heads slightly tilted towards each other.

To a passing stranger they must have looked like a young couple, chastely holding hands and watching the sunset - a typical storybook setting.
No one would have actually guessed that they were so far away from being that - and yet so close.

They stayed a bit longer at the pond, not noticing how much time had passed since they had arrived. Time didn't matter in that moment, just the person next to them.
But ultimately they turned around to walk home since the sky was now darkening with every minute.

On their way back to the apartment, at first they also didn't speak a word, but they hadn't parted their hands since they found each other at that pond in the park. Still holding on to each other like they were used to doing it every day. Like they didn't want to let go of each other. Like their worlds would crumble if they didn't have the other one by their side.

But then Harvey eventually broke the silence between them and mumbled a "I'm sorry, Donna". She held her breath for a second, stunned that he had decided to say something after all.

She instinctively knew that his words were about how he had behaved that day, knowing that she didn't really approve it. Well, the fact that he had defended her like that still elicited a flutter in the pit of her stomach but the way he handled everything wasn't exactly what she had expected or wanted.

But she also knew that his apology was about so much more, about every time he made her feel bad, made her feel uncomfortable, or just made her life a bit harder by just being him.
She just really hoped his offered excuse wasn't about everything hat had happened today at the pond, or right now on their way home. She really didn't want him to tell her he was sorry about that. Because one should never apologize for the most memorable events in one's life.

—

Finally in their apartment block again, they knew that they had to part their hands eventually so they decided to do so during the elevator ride. Missing each other's touch and warmth almost immediately after the separation, but neither of them would ever admit that - at least not now in this current situation.

After they arrived in the flat, they got into their respective room only moments later, but not without giving each other a warm but also wistful smile.

These small goodbyes had become part of a ritual. A ritual they hadn't started on purpose but that had just sort of happened. Someday it had started as something small, it had only been an almost unnoticeable spark, but now they didn't even know what it was like without that.

The only exception was that night when Harvey had almost beaten up that guy. But that wasn't a memory worth remembering in that moment so he shrugged it off, trying to focus on something else.

Unfirtunately, that also turned out to be not the best plan to distract himself from what was really going on on his mind. His brain immediately went back to the topic that had been occupying his thoughts for quite some time now: Donna.

Exhaling deeply, he let himself sink down in his desk chair, folding his hands on his stomach and tilting his head back to stare at the blank ceiling. He was aware that he was already procrastinating this for the umpteenth time now, but he didn't want to have to deal with it right now. Some day the time will arrive and he was going to have to face it, but he decided for himself that today was not the day.

So he turned himself towards his desk, letting out a heavy sigh when he saw all the work that was still waiting for him. But at least he had something to turn his focus to now.

—

Later that day, when she lay in her bed, arms crossed under her head, eyes staring at the ceiling, a sudden thought overcame her. The thought of how she missed the company and warmth of another person next to her. But not only for the night. Not only physically.

Their walk today had made it clear to her once again that she truly missed the presence of someone in her life. Be it during the day when she needed someone to hold her hand or a shoulder to lean on. A person she could laugh with or talk to, or just sit there and say nothing at all. Someone who could calm her down when she was erratic. Someone who would make her feel safe when she was afraid.

Or be it at night when she couldn't sleep and needed someone to turn to. Someone who would hold her. Someone who's even breathing calmed her down and allowed her to finally fall asleep as well.

She thought about the last person she had experienced all of that before the current one, and all of a sudden she felt tears forming in her eyes. 'Harvey doesn't deserve to be compared to that heartbreaking piece of shit', she thought to herself. He had done everything and so much more without actually being that. She was aware that she had been the one who prevented them from being that, but he did all of it anyway. Everything. Only for her. Sometimes without even noticing that he did.

She felt her throat constricting and her chest tightening, a small wave of guilt and yearning washing through her body. The thought of it alone was too much for her right now, she couldn't take it anymore, she had to do something. So she got out of her bed. When her bare feet touched the cold floor a shiver ran down her spine and cleared her clouded mind for a second.

Leaving her own room, she shortly thought about where to go but deep inside she had already decided which door she would go to. Knowing that Rachel wasn't an option right now.
So she went to the only person she could think of right now to go to - admittedly the options in the apartment where quite restricted but she knew that she would've gone to him anyway, no matter how many other people would have been at choice.

She didn't really know what she was looking for. What she was expecting to happen, or what she wanted to happen.
She just didn't want to talk about any of it, she just wanted to have another person near her. She didn't want to feel so lost and alone anymore. And given his usual enthusiasm about having conversations - especially ones that involved emotions or feelings - she knew he was pretty much the right person for exactly what she needed at the moment.
One of so many other reasons. Another one - one of the most important ones - was that he was just him.

In front of his door she swallowed once and asked herself what she was even doing here. Asking herself if she was thinking straight. Wondering if he would be pissed or if she would interrupt him in something. But then she casted all of those thoughts off, gathered all her courage and gently knocked on his door before she quietly opened it.

—

Harvey was lying in his bed, arms crossed under his head and also unable to sleep at this very moment. There was simply too much going on in his head right now, and he couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened that day. That week. That time since he had moved in. Couldn't stop thinking about her.

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a small knock on his door and then noticed it opening with a small squeak. He lifted his head and looked at the person standing in the doorframe, or more precisely the silhouette of said person. He immediately recognized her contours and creased his forehead a bit. "Is everything alright?" he asked with a low voice and a hint of worry. It was already quite late and he was wondering if something had happened to her.

She slightly shook her head but her motions were almost imperceptible so he didn't notice it. She didn't bring out a word before she finally managed to say something. "Can I come in?" Her voice sounded broken and hoarse, and wasn't much more than a whisper. It was everything it took for Harvey to have all his senses tensed and sit up apprehensively in his bed. It almost physically crushed him to see and hear her in that state. So hurt.

"Sure." He tried to let his tone stay calming and soothing, an attempt to keep the fact that deep down inside he was more like the complete opposite of calm from her.

She slowly came in and closed the door behind her. She felt a bit uneasy and didn't know what to say or do so she kept standing there in front of him for a while, fidgeting with her hands. They remained in this slightly awkward silence, none of them dared to break the quiet. Then Harvey finally decided to disturb the stillness. "Do you wanna sit down?" he offered and gave her a warm smile, though he wasn't sure if she was even able to see it in the darkness.

Donna took a few more steps towards his bed until she was able to sit down on it. It didn't slip his attention that she took a seat as far away from him as possible. He swallowed thickly and inconspicuously wiped his hands on his sweat pants. He hadn't noticed before but the whole situation sort of overtaxed him, not knowing what was going on. And staying calm had never been one of his strengths.

Trying to ease the almost palpable tension in his room he nervously chuckled shortly. "I promise I won't bite." Then he chose a more assuring tone. He didn't want to scare her off. He didn't want her to leave. He didn't want her to be alone when she was apparently not completely fine. "But you can also stay over there if you want."

At first she didn't say anything, solely opening and closing her mouth again. Only then he noticed in the shallow light that her eyes were glistening. That she had tears in her eyes.

Now he frowned in sorrow and sat fully up, carefully moving across his bed up to lightly touch her shoulder. At his touch she gave in and lost it, and her body started to tremble. He knew that she'd probably refuse but he gently pulled her to his chest nevertheless. To his surprise she didn't fight it but wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his T-shirt. She cried soundlessly and he felt her body shaking, which made him pull her even closer.

It stung in his heart to see her like this, and he didn't know if he would want her to cry out loud instead of her silent weeping. He felt the urge to protect her from everything and everyone, but he didn't know exactly how to do so. He tried to calm her down and let his hand move in soothing circles up and down her back.

A few minutes later she stopped crying, but didn't make a move away from him. He just held her, squeezing her lightly, but he didn't say anything. He knew that she knew he would give her time to speak, all the time she needed. And that he was also fine if she didn't want to tell him anything.

"Would it be okay if I stayed here?" she asked with a hoarse and breathy voice after some minutes of silence between them. Her warm breath brushed his neck and he shivered slightly. He just smiled and nodded. "Of course," his voice wasn't much more than a whisper, and he turned his head a bit so his lips almost touched the crook of her neck. One of his hand still resting on the back of her head, he inhaled and took in her scent but before he got completely lost in it he focused back on their current situation. He would never take advantage of her, especially not when she was in such a vulnerable place.

Then he began to carefully lie back again on his bed. Still holding each other, she ended up lying on top of him, he was lying on his back. One of her legs was lying beside him while the other one was resting on one of his, almost slipping between his two legs. Her head was resting right above his heart, her arms looped around his upper middle, her fingers digging in his shirt-covered back. She heard his heart thumping against his ribcage while he pulled her flush against his chest.

He never loosened his embrace once in the process of them lying back together. He could feel her weight on his thorax but it wasn't uncomfortable, in fact quite the opposite. They had never been in that position before but to him it felt like something they did every day, like their bodies were meant to be aligned in that way. It felt like a part of him had always been lost, but now he had found that missing piece. It seemed that for the first time in his entire life he felt complete, right there with her in his arms.

She pressed her ear closer against his torso and listened to the constant throbbing of his heart. The sound of the strong and regular beating, combined with his scent, had a calming and tranquilizing effect on her. It still took her some minutes but then she was finally able to fall asleep.

When he heard that her breathing had changed to a steady rhythm, he carefully lifted his head a bit and peeked at her, making sure she really was asleep. Only then he allowed himself to close his eyes and slowly succumb to a deep slumber, but not loosening his arms folded around her.

I hope you don't hate me for adding a little angst to the story (it wasn't that much tho; I certainly hope it wasn't too much?).

I'm sorry that sometimes I change POVs in each chapter probably a bit too often, I hope it's not too confusing.
Also I'm sorry if the whole setting at the lake was a bit too cliché, but I just HAD TO. And I'm still not sure if all of this makes 100% sense; sometimes it feels to me like this whole chapter is just full of trash, cliché and Darvey scenes (ok, the last one is absolutely true but I think that wasn't what I was trying to say).

A little preview for chapter 9: it picks up right after this chapter, the next morning after the last scene.